The Healthy Habit Of Using A Stand Up Desk

Think for a moment about how much time you spend sitting each day. I was sitting more than 10 hours a day before committing to a stand up desk at work. I sat for an hour or so in total for to eat each day, roughly eight hours at work, an hour watching TV at night and there was likely an extra hour in there as well. This means myself and others are sitting more than we are sleeping, exercising, spending time with our family and doing things we love. This did not used to be so. We used to spend the majority of our waking hours on our feet hunting, tending to our crops or walking from place to place. The evolution to a sedentary work life and lifestyle is very unhealthy for us.


In the long term individuals who spend the majority of their day sitting will experience an increased risk of heart disease by roughly two fold, higher chance of obesity, lower energy levels and poor posture. For many of us sitting eight hours a day is something we cannot imagine avoiding. I am here to let you know that is not the case. For these health reasons and others I made a conscious decision to stand up at work.


My Experience Standing At Work

Roughly nine months ago I started a new habit of standing at work. Sadly, this took over a year and a half of sitting to make the change. I work full time on the internet and knew that this eight hours of sedentary time per day was going to weigh a huge negative impact on my overall health. As I noted in my post from the first day I started standing at work - “This decision is going to bring many benefits to my mind and body. I know it will improve my posture, give me even more energy, increase my productivity and ultimately make me a happier person.” Months later I am happy to report all of this has been true. At times standing is hard, especially after running a marathon or climbing a mountain. After these events I do take a break from standing and sit to allow my body recovery.


Benefits of Standing At Work

• Increased energy levels
  
• Improved posture
  
• Stronger muscles
  
• Inspire other people to start standing for the health of it
  
• Feel healthier and look healthier
  
• Improved circulation
  

“Get up stand up, stand up for your life.”

I stumbled across this info graphic recently which inspired me to write an article about stand up desks. I hope it inspires you to stand up more, move your body and use it how it should be used.

Jeff Sanders wrote an excellent article on how he built a stand up desk. I simply found an old school desk to stack on top of my standard office desk and cut the legs to the appropriate height.

Please comment with your questions and experiences. I love to hear from readers.


Summit As Friends!

Scott Rowley

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